Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand would not say whether or not Canada sees the US-Israeli strikes on Iran as a violation of international law.
The minister faced repeated questions about the conflict while participating in a press conference in New Delhi, filling in for Prime Minister Mark Carney who canceled his scheduled meeting with reporters.
The United States and Israel launched a major attack on Iran on Saturday that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian officials say more than 150 people, including children, have died after a shooting was reported at a school in southern Iran.
The UN’s education organization, UNESCO, called the school bombing “a grave violation of humanitarian law.”
Anand said Canada was not involved in any operation and had no prior notice. He also repeated Prime Minister Mark Carney’s words that Canada would not participate in any military action.
The minister added that Canada would like to see a diplomatic solution if that is possible.
Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, right, and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, second left, chat with Indian ministers and officials as they await the signing of an agreement and memorandum of understanding ceremony in New Delhi, India, Monday, March 2, 2026.
(AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
“We prefer a political solution. That’s why I spent the last two days talking to our partners across the Middle East and the Gulf states, from Jordan, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, (United Arab Emirates) and all our G7 partners stressing that Canada believes in a political and peaceful solution, and as soon as possible, we would like the parties to come to the table,” said Anand.
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“Discussions that I have had in that way have produced different answers. Some countries believe that a political solution is not possible at this time. Others want to work as quickly as possible to ensure that negotiations become the next phase of this terrible situation.”
Carney and Anand issued a joint statement Saturday saying Canada supports U.S. “action to prevent” Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and prevent the Iranian regime from “threatening international peace and security.”
Canada and Iran have not had formal diplomatic relations since 2012 and Canada has listed the Iranian government as a state sponsor of terrorism.
Anand said Canada will continue to advocate for the Iranian people, noting that the government has issued approximately 500 sanctions related to the Iranian regime.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
